It was the newspapers." "Who is it, Mercy?" Gravel shooshed, and headlights flashed on my window as the car turned into the driveway.
"My mom," I told him.
"Her sense of timing is unreal.
I should have realized she would read about ...
about it." I didn't want to name what had happened to me, what I'd done to Tim, out loud.
Not while I was mostly naked with Adam, anyway.
"You didn't call her." I shook my head.
I should have, I knew it.
But it had been one of those things I just couldn't face.
He was smiling now.
"You get dressed.
I'll go stall her until you're ready to come out." "There is no way I'll ever be ready for this," I told him.
He sobered, put his face next to mine, and rested his forehead against me.
"Mercy.
It will be all right." Then he left, shutting the door to my bedroom as my doorbell rang the first time.
It rang twice more before he opened the outside door, and he wasn't being slow.
I grabbed clothes and desperately tried to remember if we'd done the dishes from dinner.
It was my turn.
If it had been Samuel's turn, I wouldn't have had to worry.
It was stupid.
I knew that she could care less about the dishes--but it gave me something to do other than panic.
I'd never even considered calling her.
Maybe in ten years I might feel ready.
I pulled on my pants and left my feet bare while I searched frantically for a bra.
"She knows you're here," Adam said on the other side of the door-- as if he were leaning against it.
"She'll be out in a minute." "I don't know who you think you are"--my mother's voice was low and dangerous--"but if you don't get out of my way right this instant, it won't matter." Adam was the Alpha werewolf in charge of the local pack.
He was tough.
He could be mean when he had to--and he wouldn't stand a chance against my mom.
"Bra, bra, bra," I chanted as I pulled one out of the dirty-clothes basket and hooked it.
I pulled the thing around so fast I wouldn't be surprised to discover I'd given myself a rug burn.